Gionta Wins It And Team Reaches 100!

Brian Gionta tripped up on a breakaway in overtime by ex-Hab Raphael Diaz, awarded a penalty shot, and comes through to give his team and us a huge 1-0 win.

The regular season is finished, the Canadiens reach a very impressive 100 points, and now the real season begins. The 82 games were only a lengthy warm-up act.

And the boys finished it off in dramatic fashion.

I wasn’t a Gionta backer throughout most of the year. He hasn’t been overly effective in my mind. He’s been a reminder of the smurf days. It seems Josh Gorges has been more of captain material.

But Gionta has come through often in the last while. He’s worked hard, has popped a few, and has shown leadership, which he should, considering he wears the captain’s “C”.

So now I’m proud of Gionta. As the season wound down, he cranked it up. And on Saturday night he was also awarded the important Jacques Beauchamp trophy for being an unheralded key guy on the team.

Luci and I decided against the Irish pub to watch the game because we found another down the street with a giant screen. Again a sensational night in Quebec City where we encountered nothing but friendly folk in an incredibly cool Old Quebec.

I had a bunch of beer, though, so this is what passes for my game post for the final game of the season. Hic.

CBC gonna print a list of CANADIAN players involved in playoffs this year so we can still cheer for a “CANADIAN TEAM” Hope they include Price, P.K., Galleger and the rest of the CANADIAN CANADIENS!! Go Ron Mclean Go —your retirement awaits you. BUT you won’t have near the sendoff the folks gave Ryan Symth in Oiler-land last nite!!! Classy move by Canucks to come back on the ice to say goodbye. To those who say —SAPPY—- I say Too bad you never learned how to show your emotions.

Peter, I didn’t see the Smyth sendoff but I’ll bet it was great. This was a guy who seriously loved playing in Edmonton, as opposed to many. Great ending in Habsland last night and ow we get ready for the playoffs. Are you growing a beard?

It was an important two points, to be sure, but I don’t like the idea of being outshot 41-27 by a Rangers team that had nothing to play for and which was resting three of its best players. Oh, well, what I like and and don’t like doesn’t really matter, does it? Let’s see what happens now in the post-season…………..